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Thread: Billy Donovan and UK...

  1. #106
    Kentuckian At Heart WVRed's Avatar
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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    http://www.truthaboutduke.com/banner.php

    Check the picture in the middle.
    Quote Originally Posted by savafan View Post
    I've read books about sparkling vampires who walk around in the daylight that were written better than a John Fay article.


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  3. #107
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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    Dickie V is in the same boat as Katz and that is hoping against all hope that Billy D doesnt take it because of the things they will have to get on the air on say.
    They have come across as arrogant know-it-all's thru all of this and personally I couldnt care less about their opinions.
    "yeahhhhhh babyyyyyyyyyyyy " :thumbdown

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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    Quote Originally Posted by WVRed View Post
    http://www.truthaboutduke.com/banner.php

    Check the picture in the middle.


    I will make this prediction.
    Whether Billy takes job or not...the next time Dickie V sets foot in Rupp Arena he will be boo'd worse than the Louisville Cardinals !



    From an Ohio State fan board-on Final Four Saturday Reply

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    A buddy of mine at work (tax season, I work on Saturday too) sent this to me-he's a huge Buckeyes fan.

    From an Insider on the OSU scout.com site.







    "Why Billy Donovan HAS to go to UK.... HAS TO.

    I met Billy Donovan about 15 years ago while I was a volunteer hoops coach at East Canton. Billy came to EC to check out our 6'9" kid who ended up at Ohio State, Mark Howard. He was an assistant to Pitino at Kentucky at the time.

    Billy was very young and just starting out in coaching. We talked about his career at Providence under Pitino and Billy loved Rick. He told me it was his passion and life's desire to be the head coach at Kentucky, even if it took 30 years. The dude almost started crying just talking about it. He was kind of emotional about the job.

    I never forgot that conversation. The moment I heard Tubby was leaving, I thought to myself that Billy Donovan will not be able to say "No" if UK offers him the job.

    Donovan = Kentucky's next coach..... if they want him. He will not turn them down."







    Just throwing this out there. Hope the OSU fan has it right !

  5. #109
    Who Dey!! GridironGrace's Avatar
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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    I hope this happens.....but im one of the ones that doesnt think it will
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  6. #110
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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    For those who listen to Mike & Mike in the Morning, this was mentioned on Rivals message board.

    I think we should nominate Dick Vitale for the "Just Shut Up" award.

    http://espnradio.espn.go.com/espnrad...age=justshutup
    Quote Originally Posted by savafan View Post
    I've read books about sparkling vampires who walk around in the daylight that were written better than a John Fay article.

  7. #111
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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    From ESPN.com's Andy Katz 4/4/07 12:30 AM

    ATLANTA -- Florida coach Billy Donovan said he hadn't slept, but that didn't keep him from having a sharp wit about him Tuesday morning when commenting on his future.

    Donovan made sure the media that gathered to watch him receive the Siemens National Championship Trophy understood where he stood with Kentucky.

    He said he hasn't talked to anyone at Kentucky or spoken to anyone about the Wildcats' vacant head coaching job -- and that there's no point commenting on something that isn't in front of him.

    Donovan also reiterated his current timetable of going to Marshall on Wednesday for a speaking engagement, meeting with Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley, going to a Gators' title celebration and a Saturday trip for a week with his family to the Dominican Republic to celebrate his father-in-law's 70th birthday.

    "I'm not being coy or moving around questions," Donovan said as reporters from the Bluegrass State dogged him on the Kentucky question. "I haven't spoken to anybody and my intentions are to speak to the University of Florida. I'm happy there. I like the school and the athletic department has been very supportive."

    Sources have told ESPN.com that Kentucky is prepared to offer Donovan a seven-year contract to succeed Tubby Smith that would pay at least $2.8 million per season and as much as $3.5 million with performance-based incentives. But on Tuesday, Donovan said only the media has talked to him about any Kentucky offer.

    "It's out of line for me to comment and talk about it," said Donovan. "I have no basis commenting on it. ... For right now, I'm just going to enjoy what happened [Monday night with the title win over Ohio State]."


    Donovan said he's so far removed from Kentucky that it's not like he was there yesterday. He hasn't been at Kentucky, where he was an assistant for five seasons under Rick Pitino, in 13 seasons -- two at Marshall as a head coach and 11 as a head coach at Florida.

    "It's amazing how we fast-forward to the future," Donovan said. "Everyone talked about repeating as soon as we won and then we do and we're onto the next thing. At what point do we live life in the moment and enjoy it?"

    "On Sunday, I had two hours of media and all I answered were questions about repeating, history and the significance of beating Ohio State and all of a sudden that's forgotten in 24 hours? I'm going to enjoy this."

    Donovan will sit down with Florida's four juniors -- Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green -- at some point in the next few weeks, but it might not be until after his return from the Dominican. He knows he'll have to deal with whether they are declaring for the NBA draft or not, assuming he is their coach.

    The players, by the way, are expected back in class Wednesday.
    It sounds to me like a man that will be listening to what UK has to say.
    "My mission is to be the ray of hope, the guy who stands out there on that beautiful field and owns up to his mistakes and lets people know it's never completely hopeless, no matter how bad it seems at the time. I have a platform and a message, and now I go to bed at night, sober and happy, praying I can be a good messenger." -Josh Hamilton

  8. #112
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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    The only reason Donovan will talk to Kentucky is to establish his market value.

    Florida will then match it.

    Donovan will announce Friday Night at the rally that he is staying.
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  9. #113
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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    I hope you're right Jax. I really am not enthused at the thought of Kentucky getting a good coach.
    Quote Originally Posted by BuckeyeRed27 View Post
    Honest I can't say it any better than Hoosier Red did in his post, he sums it up basically perfectly.

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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    Here is another good article that sort of makes me feel for the guy (Billy, that is). As an avid UK fan, I hope he does come our way. But, If he chooses not to, no hard feelings.


    Decisions, decisions

    By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
    April 3, 2007

    Yahoo! Sports: Donovan's Next Move

    ATLANTA – When he took over at Florida at age 30, with older coaches sniping at his credentials, Billy Donovan was certain of just one thing: He would outwork them all, driving this football school to basketball scenes like the one here Monday with consecutive championship confetti falling from the rafters.

    He's a machine, Billy Donovan, never stopping, never resting. He is the single, solitary force that has turned Florida into the hottest basketball program in America. The Gators are historic back-to-back champions after an 84-75 dismantling of Ohio State, a win that has made Donovan the single, solitary candidate to take over the most hotly followed and historic basketball program in America, the University of Kentucky.

    Donovan is quick to spread the credit for Florida's ascension to the top of the sport, but for all the talk about his boss and about facilities and commitment, this program is Billy Donovan's creation. These titles are the product of Billy Donovan's relentless pursuit of perfection.

    "The sacrifice," said his wife, Christine. "So much sacrifice through the years."

    You can't count the missed time with his wife and kids, the skipped dinners, the vacations that never happened. You can't fathom the extra days on the recruiting trail, the early morning workouts and all-night film sessions and the constant, 24-hour-a-day concentration on his job. Even in a business filled with Type-A personalities, Donovan simply overwhelms much of his competition.

    He used to talk about how even when he was home he wasn't home – a cell phone constantly pressed against his ear, his mind on some practice plan not his kids. He used to say that he didn't even know how to enjoy the victories until the net was clipped, until a title was won.

    He's no hearts and flowers kind of guy; he's all white-knuckle intensity, all about tomorrow, all about the job.

    "Every ounce of his blood has gone into this program, to resurrect this program," said his dad, Bill Sr. "It took an unbelievable amount of work. He's not a multitasker. He can't focus on more than one thing at a time."

    For 11 years, that single focus was doing this with Florida, crashing the Gators into the golden elite of the sport.

    "I definitely think it took years off my life," Donovan said.

    And so now, Donovan has to consider the rest of the years of his life and decide whether to harvest this powerhouse he created at Florida or take the job he has long dreamed of at storied Kentucky.

    He has to decide whether he can walk away from all that work and turn his back on all those ounces of blood.

    He has to decide just how great it is to be a Florida Gator.

    Kentucky is coming now and Billy Donovan is going to listen because he spent his career waiting for them, working toward them. When he arrived in Lexington as a 24-year-old assistant under Rick Pitino for his first college coaching job, the entire Big Blue experience blew his mind.

    The people camping out for Midnight Madness; the standing room only at Rupp Arena even for early season patsies; the all-encompassing interest in the program from Paintsville to Paducah.

    He spent years talking about it with friends and family, dreaming of being the King of the Commonwealth, the program Pitino called the "Roman Empire of college basketball."

    If Kentucky ever called, he used to tell them, he was answering.

    "Things change," Bill Sr. said. "I don't know how it is at this time. Kentucky is a great program, has great tradition, is a great job. He enjoyed his five years in Kentucky. Now he gets to sit back and see where he wants to be with his family."

    That there is even a decision is one byproduct of this run of success. Three years ago, when Gators fans were on him for five consecutive early tournament exits, when rival coaches were assailing his ethics, when the old school establishment was trying to keep him and his hard-charging self down, when something like back-to-back titles seemed farfetched, he would have been long gone.

    Florida was Florida and Kentucky was Kentucky. But things do change. Florida is on fire and as much as postgame Donovan was talking about the challenges ahead, he knows it will be easier now. Not easy, but easier. The way it is easier to win at historic places such as Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA.

    Florida was no easy job when he got there. It wasn't the Sisters of the Poor, but the program still stands in the shadow of football. Fan support, even in the best of times, is a bit soft – the Gators sold out their 12,000-seat stadium just eight of 18 times this season.

    In terms of recruiting to little Gainesville, you're always on an airplane, always going into the backyard of other schools to sign kids – none of Donovan's starting five hailed from within 300 miles of campus. Ohio State's were all within 180 miles of Columbus.

    But now Florida means so much to so many young, star-struck recruits. This isn't 1996 or even 2004, when the heart of this team was signed. That's the thing that's changed.

    If Donovan stays in Gainesville, he'll continue to win big. Only Bob Knight won two titles at a younger age and unlike Knight, Billy Donovan doesn't fish.

    At 41, his drive is as all-out as ever. His mind, soon enough, will be on one more recruiting call, one more individual workout, one more task at hand. He has more blood to bleed.

    "I feel like I, over the last 11 years, have left no stone unturned in trying to help the program," he said.

    Can he walk from that? Can he walk from his own kingdom?

    To a man, Donovan's friends and family say he hasn't spent more than a minute thinking seriously about Kentucky. As his dad said, he can't focus on more than one thing and winning this title was it.

    But the future is now. Kentucky will break the bank, will offer creative enticements, business opportunities, anything he wants. Florida will match in as many ways as possible. In the end, as absurd as it is to say about a man being wooed by competing $25 to $30 million dollar contracts, it won't be about the money.

    To leave UF he'll have to disappoint his athletic director Jeremy Foley and so many friends, so many players. To stay at UF, he'll have to disappoint so many friends in Kentucky, such as mega booster Seth Hancock – the legendary horseman, and a generation of former players he's still close with.

    This one is going to be emotional for a mostly emotionless guy, a heart check for someone who thrives on cold, calculating decisions. The future of two programs and any number of future Final Fours rests on it.

    Donovan can say the program at Florida is bigger than just him, but that really isn't true. If he stays, the Gators are going to be a contender for a long, long time. Kentucky will return to greatness even if Donovan says no, but he can make it happen in a hurry.

    Two titles now and he's positioned himself as the most important person in college hoops; the future is in his hands, choosing between honoring spilt blood or old dreams.

    "I'll tell you the truth," his dad said amid the celebratory chaos, "I don't know what he's going to do."



    Dan Wetzel is Yahoo! Sports' national columnist. Send Dan a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

  11. #115
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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    Billy, Billy, BILLY, BILLY

  12. #116
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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    Billy would be crazy to go to Lexington. Stay @UF with the beautiful weather, girls, and attract top notch recruits? Or go to Lexington where if you only beat a team by 7 points is almost considered a loss. UK isn't as good of a job people say it is. It's a good job, but it's not AS GOOD as UK fans say it is.

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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    Quote Originally Posted by DTCromer View Post
    Billy would be crazy to go to Lexington. Stay @UF with the beautiful weather, girls, and attract top notch recruits? Or go to Lexington where if you only beat a team by 7 points is almost considered a loss. UK isn't as good of a job people say it is. It's a good job, but it's not AS GOOD as UK fans say it is.
    I think it all defends on how you value a job. If the best job is determined by good pay, low pressure, and a good living environment then a school like Florida is a very good job. If you rate a job based on national profile, prestige, and top money then UK is top five with Duke, UNC, UCLA, and maybe Kansas. It seems that Donovan may be trying to decide between his pride which leads him to UK and the quality of life he has at Florida.

  14. #118
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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    Quote Originally Posted by Hoosier Red View Post
    I hope you're right Jax. I really am not enthused at the thought of Kentucky getting a good coach.
    Yeah me either.

    I think that Donovan was being completely honest in that press conference though. And nothing he said came even close to ruling out going to Kentucky. He's said he's happy at Florida, and I'm sure he is, but that doesn't mean he won't be happy at UK either. Stay or go, I honestly wouldn't be surprised one way or the other.
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  15. #119
    Rally Onion! Chip R's Avatar
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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    Even if Donovan turns down the UK job now, doesn't mean he won't in the future. If Donovan isn't hired, whomever the new coach at UK is better live up to the expectations UK fans have of their program or else the new coach will be the former coach. Maybe 5 years down the road, Donovan will decide that it is time for a new challenge and UK might be that challenge he's looking for if the NBA isn't for him.
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    Chip is right

  16. #120
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    Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

    I'm still holding out hope that UK hires Tommy Amaker.


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